Snowbird Manatee Grazing in Chesapeake Bay Waters

The Chesapeake Bay is a big body of water, but the region has a visitor right now that wildlife officials say needs its space: a manatee.

The endangered marine mammal likely headed north from Florida to graze on the Bay’s sea grasses, says a blog post by the National Aquarium. Warm summer months prompt the large animals to swim along the East Coast before returning to winter in Florida.

The beefy herbivore – manatees range from 8 to 14 feet in length and can weigh from 440 to 1,300 pounds – was spotted in St. George Creek near Waldorf.

Manatee numbers declined because of hunting in the last century, says the National Geographic, and today they are endangered. Sometimes called sea cows, the docile manatee is often injured by props from boats or tangled in fishing nets.

The National Aquarium says manatees are listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Anyone who sees a manatee in the Bay is asked to give the animal its space and call the National Aquarium’s stranding hotline: (410) 576-3880.

If you snap a photo confirming the animal’s condition and location, the aquarium asks that you send it by email or tweet it to Jenn Dittmar, the facility’s manager of animal rescue.

»Photo of manatee in Chesapeake Bay, courtesy of National Aquarium and Deborah Swann.